Inmate Rights in Americas System

Inmate Rights in Americas System Introduction Like other criminal justice systems around the world, America’s system has undergone significant changes to become what it is today. During the 19th century, the â€Å"hands-off doctrine† described the relationship between American courts and the correctional system of the country (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Inmate Rights in America’s System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Prisoners were largely viewed by the law as slaves of the nation, without human rights which take place today. Judges in the criminal justice department argued that prisoners lacked rights because of their criminal charges. As a result, courts took no responsibility in interfering with the management of prisons in order to avoid conflict of power between two state departments. Nonetheless, the â€Å"hands-off doctrine† did not last forever; it was changed in the sec ond half of the 20th century after American courts were convinced that they had a responsibility in resolving several legal claims, which were being raised by inmates. Proponents also sought to challenge the constitution in ensuring that the voice of the inmates was heard, concerning their prison life. Through several amendments, the American courts today recognize the rights of prisoners even though they are limited as compared to those enjoyed by free citizens (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). This paper discuses the rights of inmates in America as compared to those enjoyed by prisoners in other countries like the United Kingdom, and Canada. Inmate Rights in the United States Right to Free Speech American inmates have freedom of speech conceived in 1970. It requires justification as to why an inmate should be denied this right at any given moment. In regards to this, prisoners challenged the states’ censorship on mails in 1974 arguing that it was a move aimed at undermining thei r right to freedom of speech.Advertising Looking for research paper on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even though this move was considered to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, it was ruled that inmates’ freedom could only be limited if it was a security threat to the state (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). Additionally, the limitation can be justified only within the boundaries of protecting the interests of the federal government. Besides this, prisoners’ degree of association is limited by the activities of their labor union. This implies that inmates can only interact as directed by the union, which designs and executes prison activities. Access to Courts It has been argued that the right for an inmate to access courts during their prison life is very important and can be seen as the most essential right among others. This is supported by the Civil Rights Act of 1871, which has cont inuously served as the backbone of promoting inmates’ rights. Victory emanating from such lawsuits has also played a major role in ensuring that inmates are provided with a jailhouse lawyer, who offers any required legal advice (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). In essence, a jailhouse lawyer is an inmate who advises other prisoners on various legal matters. Moreover, inmates have the right to access law libraries, which play a fundamental role in helping them to understand their rights as defined by the state. Knowledge obtained from these libraries is equally important in helping them to understand their criminal offenses, punishment, and court processes. Disciplinary Proceedings According to the 5th and 14th Amendments, all American citizens are guaranteed the due process. In this context, courts have the responsibility of putting in place relevant procedures to curb cases of inmates being deprived off their right of freedom. Similarly, inmates are supposed to have knowledge of the charges, before they appear in court for hearings. It is responsibility of the court to ensure that inmates are served with required notices early enough (Dervan, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Inmate Rights in America’s System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides being notified, inmates have the right to invite witnesses during the hearings to witness in their favor as a way of convincing the court. Apart from this, American inmates have the right to be helped during the presentation of a defense in court proceedings. However, this does not compel the court to provide an attorney for the accused. They also have the right to support their evidence with written statements, which offer an explanation of the evidence. Equal Protection As stated under the Fourteenth Amendment, all citizens have equal protection of the laws of the state. Though this is the case, lawsuits against racial seg regation are common in the United States (Dervan, 2011). On the other hand, gender-based biasness occurs mainly in workplaces and educational centers, and most of the cases involve women, who are considered to be more prone than men. Throughout the implementation of the law that guarantees this right, courts have upheld that female and male inmates deserve equal privileges at any given moment. Right to Privacy Unlike other citizens, American inmates lack the Fourth Amendment right, which protects people against unfair search and seizure by security agents. As a result, correctional centers are allowed to monitor the movement of prisoners in cells and carry out searches that are not warranted. During Hudson v. Palmer (1984), the court upheld that prisoners did not have privacy coverage under the Fourth Amendment of the American law (Dervan, 2011).Advertising Looking for research paper on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While this was the case, it had been argued that prisoners lacked entitlement to privacy because of security reasons, which demanded that inspections and searches were carried out randomly. Rights in Conflict Under this category of rights, there are cases of conflicting rights and interests. For instance, there have been lawsuits filed against correctional officers of the opposite sex observing inmates during a prison search. The conflict arises from the fact that inmates and correctional administrators have their legal rights (Dervan, 2011). For example, inmates are usually concerned about their privacy, while the officers have equal job opportunities in spite of their gender, while prison officials have been mandated to ensure that the correctional centers are safe. In some states, like Alabama, the court does not allow women to work in maximum-security centers to eliminate the risk posed by male inmates on female officers. Rights upon Release Though inmates may be set free accord ing to court procedures, they find it hard to fit back in the society because of legal obstacles. For instance, ex-convicts of murder are deprived of the right to vote or take specific job positions in certain fields. Moreover, civil death terminates all the civil rights, although there is no state in America, which uses the law. It has been argued that voter disenfranchisement is one of the worst penalties against former inmates (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). As a result, there are millions of black ex-convicts who are not allowed to participate in any voting exercise. Inmate Rights in the United Kingdom Like the United States, England recognizes some rights for those people who are held in prisons because of different reasons. Some of these rights give details on how inmates can make complaints through the ombudsman and their accessibility to lawyers for the sake of making legal proceedings at any given moment. Reception Upon reception, the UK law allows prison officers to search al l inmates and take their photographs if it is necessary. Among other reasons, the search ensures that prisoners do not possess items, which are not permitted by the law. In order to enforce this, prisoners are usually given a list of items to go through upon arrival at any correctional center before signing it (Owers, 2010). Additionally, prisoners are not allowed to be in a possession of cash but rather pay it using account under the management of the governor. An information book is also given to all prisoners as a way of helping them to adapt to the new environment outside of the society. On the other hand, prison rules are only given to those who request them from prison officers. Access to Lawyers According to prison laws in the United Kingdom, inmates are allowed to be visited by their solicitors and even communicate with them. Importantly, a prisoner is free to contact the solicitor without necessarily contacting the prison authorities. Furthermore, complaints about prison li fe can only be revealed in public after the solicitor has legally advised the prisoner (Owers, 2010). The law was first applied by the European Court of Human Rights and the court took stern measures to avoid any interference. The right also guarantees inmates the confidentiality on any material, which prisoners are permitted to posses. Letters Prisoners are allowed to send a statutory letter in a week, whose payment is made and another privilege letter whose postage fee is paid with money, which is not directly drawn from the private cash allowance. It is worth noting that no correctional center is allowed to interfere with the statutory letter as a way of disciplining an inmate (Murray, 2011). In cases where inmates are granted special letters, it is essential to note that such letters are independent from existing privileges. Prisoners are also issued with a special letter, which allows them to settle their businesses in cases where they have been transferred to other centers or released. While these restrictions exist in correctional centers, all inmates in open prisons are free to send any number of letters without legal restriction. Moreover, un-convicted prisoners are allowed to pay for as many letters as they can even though they are also entitled to two weekly letters, which are paid by the prison (Murray, 2011). Censorship According to the law, mails are only opened in correctional centers holding high-risk inmates while other prisoners receive their mails without being opened by the facility authority. While this is the case, officials may check letters, which are sent by criminals convicted of sexual-related crimes. In terms of content, the governor may resend the letters to the initial correspondent if they are too long and beyond recommended length. The letters may also be resend if they are rejected by the prisoner, regarded as the addressee (Easton, 2008). Special requests and complaints are usually made by filling a general application form, a nd prisoners are allowed to contact their lawyers where it is necessary. Inmates who break prison rules go through disciplinary proceedings to determine their punishment. Either an independent adjudicator or a governor can hear and determine the case. Inmate Rights in Canada Like in the United States, early years saw Canadian prisoners suffer in the hands of courts due to the lack of recognition of their rights. In most cases, inmates had to clear their jail terms or willfully choose to die, without being granted a fair trial in court. In other words, inmates lost all their civil rights and survived at the mercies of the correctional center (Grossman Roberts, 2011). It was horrible for a person to be imprisoned since prison life was more horrifying than dwelling of beggars in the streets. As a result, prisoners were the most inferior members of the society. It is believed that this trend was adopted after a public outcry arguing that prisoners enjoyed life more than free and innoce nt citizens. It was therefore necessary for them to be deprived of their civil rights. However, the manner in which inmates are treated in Canada today has significantly changed, and people are guaranteed several civil rights, which are contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Grossman Roberts, 2011). These rights are important in ensuring that procedural rights for inmates are upheld by the court and correctional centers. Among others, the charter guarantees inmates the freedom of religion, association, security, life, equality, liberty, and protection from detention. Timely and Fair Trial Like other citizens, inmates have the right for unbiased trial in a court of law within a reasonable time frame. This implies that impartial trial is not enough when the court takes unreasonable trial time that is almost equivalent to the jail term. However, it is worth noting that most judicial systems around the world experience slow processing of trials, thus detaining inmate s who end up winning their cases. Some legal experts have argued that there is a gap in the Canadian justice system, especially when referring to reasonable time of trial (Grossman Roberts, 2011). While this is the case, the system gives direction regarding the time within which certain actions are carried out. Most offences take a maximum of thirty days before being concluded while those that involve serious crimes may take between twenty three and forty one days. On the other hand, minor cases in which the accused is innocent may take a minimum of fourteen days before determination (Grossman Roberts, 2011). Like in America and the United Kingdom, Canadian law allows inmates to receive legal assistance and representation during court proceedings. The right to a defense ensures that the accused can defend himself through the assistance of the counsel. Nevertheless, prisoners do not have an automatic assurance of the counsel. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that most countries transformed their criminal justice systems in order to protect the rights of inmates, which had not existed during the middle of the 20th century. America, the UK, and Canada have laws, which ensure that inmates are not deprived of certain rights in spite of their criminal records and current state. Common rights include right to life, protection, access to courts and protection against discrimination among others. However, the United Kingdom has more protection of inmates compared to America. As a result, British inmates enjoy more rights than their counterparts in the USA and Canada. Above all, rights of inmates cannot be equal to the rights of free citizens. References Dervan, E. (2011). American prison culture in an international context: an examination of prisons in America, the Netherlands, and Israel. Stanford Law Policy Review, 22(2), 413-428. Easton, S. (2008). Constructing Citizenship: Making Room for Prisoners Rights. Journal Of Social Welfare Family Law , 30 (2), 127-146. Grossman, M., Roberts, J. (2011). Criminal Justice in Canada: A Reader. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Murray, C. (2011). Playing for Time: Prisoner Disenfranchisement under the ECHR after Hirst v United Kingdom. Kings Law Journal, 22(3), 309-334. Owers, A. (2010). Prison Inspection and the Protection of Prisoners Rights. Pace Law Review, 30 (5), 1535-1547. Schmalleger, F., Smykla, J. (2012). Corrections in the 21st Century. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Jill Came Tumbling After

Jill Came Tumbling After Jill Came Tumbling After Jill Came Tumbling After By Maeve Maddox The word fall in English, both as a verb and a noun, has numerous meanings. People can fall, but so can stocks, water levels, and empires. As a noun fall can refer to the season Fall, the fall of a city, and the Fall of Man. Leaving aside the many ways in which inanimate objects can fall, people can be said to fall, slip, topple, tumble, keel over, and take a spill. Each choice carries a different connotation. topple suggests a fall from a high place, possibly induced or caused by a displacement of weight: He lost his balance at the summit and toppled to the canyon floor. keel over suggests that the person fell over suddenly: We were walking along talking when she simply keeled over. take a spill would be appropriate to describe a fall from a horse or from skis. For me tumble is a playful word for a fall with minor consequences. Perhaps it’s because I associate it with a nursery rhyme. When Jack fell down and broke his crown, Jill came tumbling after. And while the words â€Å"broke his crown† may suggest a split skull, all it means is that Jack cut his forehead: Up Jack got and home did trot, As fast as he could caper, To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob With vinegar and brown paper. In my mind people who â€Å"tumble† may get hurt, but they aren’t killed, so I’d use tumble to describe a minor fall. Because I don’t associate serious consequences with the word tumble, I was startled by its use in a grim news story: David John Pimental, 19, of Fort Smith tumbled off a bridge around 10:15 p.m. This â€Å"tumble† was not minor. In an attempt to avoid oncoming traffic during an ice storm, the unfortunate Pimental slid from a dark ice-covered bridge and plummeted 180 feet to his death. From The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, 2nd ed.( 2008), here are some more words for the way people can fall: go head over heels go headlong collapse pitch forward trip stumble slip Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?Starting a Business Letter with Dear Mr.

Criminal Jusitice. The Criminal Justice System Process Research Paper

Criminal Jusitice. The Criminal Justice System Process - Research Paper Example Authorities mentioned that Phelps Collins got inside through some help from one of his friends and a brother to the owner of the townhouse. However, detectives did not expressly draw a clear connection between the staged break-in and the previous stabbing of Robert Wone. However, homicide detectives were looking into the burglary with the zeal of uncovering various potential leads. Wone was stabbed at the chest as he was visiting friends at the same home on the edge of Dupont Circle along the 1500 block of Swann Street NW. New details relating to the burglary later emerged through a number of interviews conducted much later (Klein &Schwartzman, 2006). Testimonies and court papers from a hearing for Collins the following week at D.C. Superior Court were also sources of information. Collins was later arrested on a burglary charge. Police maintained that Collins confessed to them that that Michael Price, the friend, had provided him with a key to the contended house as it belonged to Jo e Price, his brother. Police also added that Collins said that Michael Price was responsible for turning off the alarm immediately the two men broke into the house where electronics worth $7,700 were stolen. Case presented At the time, Michael Price was not yet charged in the burglary and he was not located to provide any comments. After the staged break-in, the detectives proceeded to the nearby pawnshops where they found two DVD players, an audio system among other stolen goods which led them all the way to Collins. In Calvert Street NW, the police found one of the CD changers as they searched the Collins's home. Collins had sold most of the other stolen items along the street for drugs or money, as the authorities speculated. A lawyer at one of the Washington firms, Joe Price, told police that he was not aware that Collins had done it even though he had heard the same through his brother (Klein &Schwartzman, 2006). This is according to information that was sourced from an affidavit the police filed after getting the search warrant for the residence of Collins. Joe Price also mentioned to the police that the brother was known to engage in drug abuse as well as hanging out with diverse subjects who we re adversely mentioned in drug usage on a frequent basis. Price directed the police to the fact that he did not avail permission to neither his brother nor Collins of entering his house and removing and later selling his property as stated in the affidavit. His public defender did not comment. Up to the point of the break-in, police expressed considerable doubt on the intruder theory. This is because there lacked an express sign of forced entry as the killer used a kitchen knife. Further, the crime scene seemed to be cleaned prior to the arrival of the officers as recounted by the police. Investigators convened a grand jury as well as enlisting the integral help of the respective departments of the FBI within the homicide. They also sought to keep high levels of control for the $1.2 million houses across several weeks after the killing while removing flooring, a chunk of the staircase, pieces of walls, sink traps and the washing machine searching for blood as well as any other evide nce (Klein &Schwartzman, 2006). Collins, who was at the time unemployed, had a criminal history which included four drug convictions between the years of 1998 and 2004 in the Montgomery and District as shown by the records. Authorities mentioned that most of the items taken from the burglary turned up at Pawnbrokers on 14th Street NW at Sam's residence which was only a few blocks away. The manager at the store, Sam Levy, said that Collins had previously pawned

Elements of reasoning and intellectual standards Coursework

Elements of reasoning and intellectual standards - Coursework Example The problem arising is that the president failed to visit the flood torn area in the boarder where many children got affected. The information should be from a credible source. In this article, Perry was quoted in a CNN interview saying that the American people expect to see their President when there is a disaster and that president Obama showed up in Sandy and not in Texas (Cohen, Payne, & Ford, 2014). This information is credible as it is given to the global news caster. The news article should also highlight the concept or the way the event is supposed to be approached at a given time. The concept here is that the American president needs to have a close attachment with the people and therefore he should have been with the children in the flood area. The clash arose when the president said that going to a crisis area is only meant for a photo shot implying that there is no need of moving to the area. This attributes of the president have been likened with the acts of the former president George W. Bush who decided not to visit the Gulf coast when it was affected by the storm Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He opted to fly with the Air Force One hence got a lot of criticism from the public for detaching himself from the victims (Cohen, Payne, & Ford, 2014). It is recommended that the president should at least send some representatives than being silent or even criticizing that event for doing so he may be portrayed as if he is not concerned with the peop le. The article should portray fairness in its way of representation meaning that the editors should be fair in their news release. The intellectual standards have been used as we can see the involved actors are responding to criticism. The governors state their criticism about the event and the president states his view on how he thinks is supposed to happen. In my own opinion, I think the article is biased because the criticism towards the president does not

Throughout his novel Essay Example for Free

Throughout his novel Essay Reread the begging of section one of the novel. Write about the ways the writer uses details in this passage to make the reader think about the changes, events and ideas in the novel; in the way the writer uses detail in his passage to prepare the reader for the ending. Throughout his novel, Of mice and Men John Steinbeck presents many ideas about the bias system that prevents working class people from amounting to anything, and how the fates of ranch hands and particularly the character of Lennie are inevitable. His use of language and literary techniques in order to develop his character and setting are used to prompt the reader to consider these ideas. The vocabulary that Steinbeck choices to describe the brush in both sections one and six of the novel mirror each other. Steinbeck has Lennie repeating the actions from section one to make us think back to the beginning of the novella, and consider the characters that he has created. Steinbecks meticulous use of detail throughout the novel makes it more memorable to the reader and so when in section 6 Lennie appear[s] out of the brush they are instantly reminded of the opening, as though the novel has come full circle. Steinbeck chose to set the ending to Of Mice and Men in the same setting as he chose to set the first to show the monotony and routine of the ranch hands and despite the dreams they may have, the reality of the situation makes hopes impossible. We, as the readers are aware from the start that the text is likely to end where it began as Steinbeck has the character, Lennie repeating what George said about the brush so [he doesnt] forget it, consequently the repetition also had the phrase stick in the minds of the novels audience. So when Lennie remembers his instructions from George in section Six, so do the audience. Steinbeck sets section six of the novel after the sun had left the valley which mirrors the first section which was also set in the evening. However the night also serves another purpose of suggesting that at the end of the day also comes the end of Lennies life, making the reader consider what has happened in the novel between sections one and six to lead to this moment and the comments Steinbeck was trying to communicate. The language choices Steinbeck makes to describe Lennie are throughout often quite animalistic. Although to demonstrate his size when Lennie is described as a bear, these terms serve a secondary purpose of making Lennie seem more animal than human. The very end of the novel and Lennies death are foreshadowed by the events in section 3 when Candys dog is led away to be shot. Later on Candy reveals that he feels that he should have shot him myself, which is what George does in the way Carlson describes in the bunkhouse. These similarities make Lennie seem like an animal however the metaphor goes further, suggesting that people at the time were all treated badly or like animals as Lennie is in this novel. In conclusion, the details that Steinbeck presents the final section of the novel Of Mice and Men make the reader think about other sections of the novel, particularly the begging as much of the imagery used in the final section is either the same or similar.

Learning Styles and the Accounting Profession Essay -- Business Accoun

Every human being in this world is unique and each individual has different ways in which they learn. Learning styles have been formulated over the years to help us recognize the way we approach learning and methods we use to gain knowledge. It is an individual's distinctive approach to learning based on strengths, weaknesses, and preference with a mixture of various styles. In this essay, we will take a look at different learning styles and how they can be implemented and integrated in the accounting profession. To determine the best way I learn, I carried out two different learning styles questionnaires online. One may find that they are not always categorised in a specific type rather they may have more than one learning preference. Firstly, the most commonly used Neil Fleming’s VARK model. Fleming believes that there are four different types of learner: Visual, Auditory, Reading/writing and Kinesthetic learners. The second model I tried out was Soloman-Felder Learning Styles and Strategies. The two tests that I have done have pretty much accurately described what kind of learner I am. VARK model states that my dominant learning style is Kinesthetic. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing things physically with hands on experience rather than listening to someone else. I tend to move around a lot when remembering or revising for an exam which helps me express a thought or understand a subject through bodily movement. My other style is Linguistic and Spatial Visual learning. It is easier for me to grasp the meaning of things by visually understanding a concept with the help of graphs, pictures, videos, etc or taking notes as I learn. My least preferred style was Auditory. This is fairly true as I ne... ..., I believe I can be a good accountant as long as I improve on my weaknesses and master my strengths. References: - †¢ Chapman, A. 2009. Free learning styles test. Leicester: Businessball.com. Available from : http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm [Accessed 29th November 2010] †¢ Clark, D. 2008. Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic Learning styles (VAK). Available from : http://nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/vakt.html [ Accessed 29th November 2010] †¢ McCarthy, M. 2010. Experiential Learning Theory-From Theory to Practice. Orland. Available from http://www.gimi.us/CLUTE_INSTITUTE/ORLANDO_2010/Article%20111.pdf [Accessed 2nd December 2010] †¢ Novin, A., Arjomand, L. and Jourdan, L. Teaching & Learning, Fall 2003, Volume 18, Number 1, pp. 24-31. Available from : http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/ehd/journal/Fall2003/novin.pdf [ Accessed 2nd December

When the Levees Broke Rhetorical Analysis

Chase Caldwell Professor Gwaltney English 1102 14 March 2013 When The Levees Broke Rhetorical Analysis Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on the morning of August 29, 2005. The storm produced sustained winds of up 125 mph when it hit that morning. On that same day Katrina caused 53 different levee breaches in greater New Orleans, spilling the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into the city and flooding an overwhelming majority of New Orleans.The floodwaters destroyed countless homes and lives along the way. Some estimates of the cost of Katrina were up in the 200 billions but according to Kimberly Amadeo, â€Å"The actual cost of Hurricane Katrina's damage was between $96-$125 billion, with $40-$66 billion in insured losses. † This statistic makes Katrina one of the most expensive natural disasters to ever hit the United States. Money wasn’t the only thing that was lost; the storm killed roughly 1,500 people in Louisiana alone.Floodwaters stayed in New Orleans for weeks leaving many people stranded and fighting for their lives. Post-Katrina New Orleans was a war zone with looting, shootings, robbery, and people desperately needing help from the government. Help was slow to arriving though. People went days and days without food or any kind of help at all. Many people died from all sorts of different causes. Deaths ranged from heat exhaustion in attics to drowning in the street and even in the victims own home.The majority of citizens of New Orleans’ ninth ward feel like the government did not take the right measures in getting help to the victims of the storm and they also feel like the destruction altogether could have been avoided had the levees been built correctly. The story of New Orleans and the failing levees is right up one filmmaker’s alley. Spike Lee is known to make movies that examine race relations and political issues. The story of New Orleans during Katrina touches on both of these subjects immensely. Thus, When t he Levees Broke was born.The documentary is a heart-wrenching medley of eyewitness accounts, video news footage, and photographs of the destruction that mix together in a way that shows Lee’s dissatisfaction with what happened during Katrina. Lee was legitimately upset about what happened in New Orleans during Katrina and even toys with the idea that the U. S. government blew up the levees to rid New Orleans of poor blacks. Needless to say, Lee will not hesitate to tell anyone what he believes and is the center of many different controversies in Hollywood. His personality is best described as that of a ticking time bomb.His feelings for the people of the ninth ward coupled with his outspokenness on political affairs and race relations were the driving force behind When The Levees Broke. Lee’s intended audience is really anyone who takes the time to watch his work. He really wanted to get the story out to the public and that is exactly what he did, he let the world see exactly what was happening in New Orleans without any sugar coating. Lee does not hesitate to put a floating, swollen dead body on screen just to let the viewers know the grotesque reality of what happened.Lee uses this documentary to voice his opinion against how the government handled Katrina. He felt that the government did not do what it should have done during this time and he shows his disappointment with the federal government through the movie. Lee conveys a huge array of arguments in this film from the government blowing up the levees to George Bush not caring about black people. Throughout all of these arguments his barebones, central argument is that the federal government did not fulfill its duty to the people of New Orleans during the Katrina catastrophe.Lee conveys this argument in a number of different ways. For instance, he conveys the argument by interviewing a multitude of people that lived through Katrina and has them explain their unrest and disappointment in the government on camera. He also shows photographs of posters and paintings that read things like â€Å"Where’s Fema? † and â€Å"Fuck Bush†. These tactics make it quite easy to see that Lee is upset with the Government. He uses a number of appeals to get his argument across. He mostly uses pathos by using horrific eyewitness accounts and gruesome photographs to stab at the audience’s emotions.The audience cannot help but feel terrible for the people who had to go through this. One of the worst feelings is watching someone cry over their lost home or hear an account of someone who comes home to their dead mother. Lee undoubtedly does a good job of evoking emotion from the audience. Lee interviews a melting pot of people in this documentary. It seems like there is an interviewee from almost every walk of life. In fact HBO explored just how many people Lee interviewed: Lee and his team selected close to 100 people from diverse backgrounds and representing a w ide range of opinions to nterview, including Governor Kathleen Blanco; Mayor Ray Nagin; residents Phyllis Montana LeBlanc, Kimberly Polk, Shelton â€Å"Shakespeare† Alexander and Rev. Williams; activists Al Sharpton and Harry Belafonte; CNN's Soledad O'Brien; and musicians Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Kanye West. This works in his favor and adds to the ethos of the film. Since he is getting the opinions of a number of different people it shows more of the bigger picture and does not focus on only one person or one group of people.Diversity and unifying people under their disappointment with the government is a key part of his argument. This shows that he is not the only person that feels this way about the government, in fact everyone in the movie feels the same as he does. This can cause some speculation. Spike’s argument is not perfect. There are multiple flaws in the argument that can cause it to be discredited. For one, the opinions of his interviewees ar e so one-sided that the audience does not see a single glimpse of the other side of the spectrum.Not one person in the film seems satisfied with how the government handled the situation. In a way this discredits Spike Lee’s argument because it seems as if he is only showing you what he wants to show you. He shows you nothing good that the government did or people that are satisfied with how the government helped. The audience only sees the people who are disgruntled by Katrina who just want more and more help. It is hard to believe that there is not a single person in New Orleans who was not satisfied with the help that they received from the government.Mr. Lee simply does not show the satisfied citizens of NOLA. If he had shown these people then his argument would be much stronger. Also, Lee does evoke emotion in the audience but after a while it just becomes too much. After 4 hours of seeing wreckage and dead bodies you almost grow tired of feeling sorry for people. The fir st time you see a destroyed home or a dead body you want to cry for the victims but after hours and hours of seeing the same thing you become used to seeing it.Spike lee definitely evokes emotion but he should have done so more in moderation so the audience would not tire of feeling sorrow for the victims. Lee’s background as an outspoken critic that really just seems to love controversy also discredits his argument. It is as if Lee could be making this film to just stir up controversy in Hollywood because that is what he seems to love to do. He has had countless run-ins with almost every director in the business from Tarantino to Tyler Perry. He imply loves controversy so why would he not take this story and blow it up and make a huge controversy out of it? It would not be out of character for him to do so. That is why his argument can be somewhat discredited by his background. It is not unlikely that Lee took this story and made it a huge ordeal just to stir up controversy in Washington and against Bush, whom he does not support. The story is really just a perfect opportunity to pin people against Bush. His background, one-sidedness, and excess of pathos all hurt his argument greatly.When the Levees Broke is a Spike Lee documentary that tells the story of the destruction that Katrina and a failed levee system had on New Orleans, Louisiana. The creator uses the film in an attempt to argue that the federal government did not do its part to help the people of New Orleans after the disaster. However, he fails at arguing that point due to his one-sidedness and his personal background. During the film, interviewees all agree on the consensus that the government did not help out how they should have but no one thinks that they did a good job of helping out.This just shows that Lee is only showing the audience what he wants them to see. If he had shown both sides of this argument and disproved the opposing side his argument would have been much stronger. Also , Lee’s personal identity as one who loves controversy discredits his argument in that it appears to be just another one of his critiques. He has so many critiques of things that this argument really just gets lost in the sea of them all. Works Cited Amadeo, Kimberly. About. com. The New York Times Company. n. d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. HBO. com. n. p. n. d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.

What Are the Intended Effects of the Opening of Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator’ and How Effective Are They?

Ridley Scott's ‘Gladiator' was released in 2000 and won five Oscars (Academy Awards); including â€Å"Best Film,† â€Å"Best Visual Effects† and â€Å"Best Director.† Scott cast some well known actors such as Russel Crowe and Richard Harris. Some reports suggest it cost an amazing à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½145 million. The casting of Crowe as Maximus was significant because he is able to portray a very well built, physically strong, battle-hardened leader. The character of Maximus contrasts with the casting of Harris as the ageing Emperor with his gaunt and tired looking features. From the very outset of the film, the director employs a sepia effect coupled with a dark, overcast almost monochrome effect. These combine to give the impression of imminent tragedy as well as conveying that the events are set in the distant past. The director has even asked the production companies ‘Universal' and ‘DreamWorks' to make their logos' sepia to show continuity. The historical information provided helps the audience to place the film in a historical context. The use of old Roman font for the text further reinforces the context and genre. The information is factual, gives names and information of real people. It is clear that this is going a historical, action film but with a central theme about power, control and one man's fight for his freedom from the killing and slaughter. The first shot is an extreme close up, when you would normally expect an extreme long shot to see the scene. The extreme close up is focusing on the actor's hand floating through the grass. The slow quiet music helps to make the shot dreamlike. The main character seems calm because he is stroking the grass and he is wearing a wedding ring to show he is a family man. After the slow close up shot the director shows the character alone on the battlefield which makes the previous scene a definite dream. To establish that it was a dream the director jumps from a slow calm shot to a medium close up on the character in a more dark and gloomy shot. The character's armour and wolf-skin shows that he is an important man. The cut to a robin (a bird usually seen in winter) with a dark background tells the audience that it is winter. After seeing the robin a small smile fights its way on to his face, which shows he is not just a gory, ruthless fighter and that he does have a gentle side. The extreme long shot is good to set the scene of the battlefield, which is a dark and gloomy forest. The name of the location ‘Germania' is Roman for Germany, by using the Roman language it helps to establish the fact that it is an old, Roman film. This shot is more dramatic because it contrasts heavily with the previous dreamlike shot of the hand floating through a calm cornfield. The slow music (adagio) starts off the extreme long shot making the atmosphere calm and gentle, it also makes it ominous because the adagio music is playing in the battlefield shot. When the shot begins to zoom in the music becomes more lively and action packed just as the army starts coming into view so you know that they are going to war. The music includes trumpets and a few drums which makes the shot more martial. The sudden change in atmosphere and music starts to build up the tension and expectation that a great deal of action is imminent. As the shot moves to Marcus Aurelius, the audience can see that he is an important character. He is wearing gold along with a purple cape. The purple cape shows he is royalty because to make the colour purple a tiny sea creature called a Murex Mollusc was required. This creature was very rare and large quantities were required to make a small amount of dye. Therefore, purple garments were highly prized status symbols. Whilst zooming inward the camera shot used is a low angle which makes Marcus Aurelius seem very high on his horse. He is also just watching the war not doing anything and he has got a stern looking bodyguard. The director emphasises General Maximus' authority by using a medium close up as he walks along all of his troops. Everyone is focused on him; they move out of the way, bow down and are always calling him sir to show complete respect. The costume he wears defines his authority, he wears more armour than the rest of his army and he is also wearing wolf-skin. The director stresses Maximus' authority and respect by making his word final, the director shows this in the following quote, â€Å"The range is good† this is the sentence where Maximus cuts off the other soldier, also â€Å"†¦is acceptable†, then, â€Å"agreed†, Maximus speaks in a very low, quiet, considered tone of voice but the soldiers still listen with no question which shows their respect for him. In the pre-battle motivational speech to his men, Maximus uses the type of language that his men can understand to encourage and motivate them. â€Å"Three weeks from now I will be harvesting my crops. Think were you want to be and it will be so.† Here he is making them think positive about the future and set a goal for themselves. He then jokes that if they find themselves all alone they are already in Elysium (Roman afterlife). But then he uses a phrase that seems quite out of character for a tough, brutal general of an aggressive, imperial Roman army, â€Å"What we do in life echoes in eternity.† This line instantly marks out Maximus as having a spiritual and sentimental aspect to his character. There are many differences between the Romans and the German Tribesmen, for instance when Maximus is giving his speech all of his troops are in formation quietly listening and fully concentrating, by contrast the German Tribesmen are shouting and not giving any attention. The fighting style of the Romans is orderly, synchronised and they are in a perfect battle formation, the Tribesmen are in disorganised running around like a rabble. The Romans are equipped with matching armour and similar weapons whilst the Tribesmen have animal skins and rough individual weapons. The Romans appear to have a complete strategy and are disciplined, the Tribesmen just rely on their brute strength, and even their appearance is barbaric. The director helps to establish the difference between the two sides by taking the shots of each side one after the other. Toward the end of the battle the director employs a technique that seems completely unexpected. As the battle is raging, there is loud martial music with lots of trumpets, drums and war cries. However as the battle is coming to a conclusion and the Roman army is on the verge of victory, the director switches to slow motion shots and an adagio score. Instead of seeing triumphant Romans celebrating their victory and listening to triumphant music, the audience is left in a slightly confused state. It is almost as if the director is trying to communicate the futility of the death and destruction. As the last of the Germans are being slaughtered and fires are raging in the background the only human sound is the sound of heavy tired exhalation of breath, Even blood splattered, exhausted Maximus' triumphant cry, â€Å"Roma Victor!† and his soldiers' cheers are almost lost in the adagio. Then in a scene that seals the futility of war, the camera focuses a tired, old, weary Emperor as he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes in an expression that reveals his sad resignation that another battle has been won. At first glance, I just thought â€Å"Gladiator† was simply going to be a â€Å"blood and guts film,† But having watched it with greater attention, I believe it is a truly great film. Ridley Scott has carefully constructed an opening scene that brings out the futility of war and one mans struggle to be free. Scott had used many different effects such as; slow motion photography, quick change in atmosphere and an almost monochrome set with the orange of burning fires and sepia tones. The musical score has switched between triumphant martial music and a slow adagio hinting of imminent tragedy and sadness. Even the minimal dialogue between the characters complements the director's intended effect. Overall this is a magnificent opening scene.

To Put It Bluntly . . .

To Put It Bluntly . . . To Put It Bluntly . . . To Put It Bluntly . . . By Maeve Maddox Adam Rubock asks for a discussion of the difference between saying something bluntly, and blatantly saying something. The word blunt came into the language around 1200 with the meaning â€Å"dull, obtuse.† At that time a â€Å"blunt person† would have been a stupid person. In the 1580s blunt took on the meaning â€Å"abrupt of speech or manner.† This is closer to the way we use the word now. The third definition of blunt given by the OED is â€Å"Rudely; without ceremony or delicacy; abruptly, curtly.† When we say that so-and-so is â€Å"blunt,† we mean that the person puts thoughts into words without regard to the sensibilities of listeners or readers. In speaking of an object, such as a â€Å"blunt sword† or a â€Å"blunt instrument,† the sense is still â€Å"dull† or â€Å"not sharp.† blatant The OED gives these definitions of blatant: Of persons or their words: Noisy; offensively or vulgarly clamorous; bellowing. Clamorous, making itself heard. In recent usage; obtrusive to the eye (rather than to the ear as in orig. senses); glaringly or defiantly conspicuous; palpably prominent or obvious. According the Etymology Online Dictionary, the word blatant was coined by Sir Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen: to describe a thousand-tongued monster representing slander; probably suggested by L. blatire to babble. In the 1650s blatant came to mean â€Å"noisy in an offensive and vulgar way.† The current sense of â€Å"obvious, glaringly conspicuous† is from 1889. Both words are popular on the web. Blatant seems to be associated with the act of lying in particular. A search for â€Å"blatant lie† gets 136,000 hits. â€Å"Blatant liar† gets 83,400 hits. The cliche â€Å"to put it bluntly† gets 4,860,000 hits. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical WordsPeople versus PersonsHyphenation in Compound Nouns

New Years Resolutions for Teachers

New Year's Resolutions for Teachers As elementary school teachers, we are always striving to improve. Whether our goal is to make our lessons more engaging ​or to get to know our students on a higher level, we are always trying to take our teaching to the next level. The new year is a great time to take a closer look at how we run our classroom and to decide what we would like to improve. Self-reflection is an important part of our job, and this New Year is the perfect time to make some changes. Here are 10 New Years Resolutions for teachers to use as inspiration. 1. Get Your Classroom Organized This is usually on the top of the list for all teachers. While teachers are known for their organizational skills, teaching is a hectic job and its easy to let things get a little out of control. The best way to achieve this goal is to make a list and slowly check off each task as you complete them. Break up your goals into smaller tasks to make them easier to achieve. For example, week one, you might choose to organize all your paperwork, week two,  your desk, and so on.   2. Create a Flexible Classroom Flexible classrooms are all the rage right now, and if you havent yet incorporated this trend into your classroom, the new year is a great time to start. Begin by purchasing a few alternative seats and a bean bag chair. Then, move on to bigger items such as standing desks.   3. Go Paperless With educational technology tools, its really gotten even easier to commit to a  paperless classroom. If youre lucky enough to have access to iPads, you may even choose to have your students complete all of their work digitally. If not, visit Donorschoose.org and ask for donors to purchase them for your classroom. 4. Remember Your Passion for Teaching Sometimes the idea of a fresh new start (like the New Year) can help you remember your passion for teaching. Its easy to lose track of what initially motivated you to teach, especially when youve been at it for a long time. This new year, take some time to jot down some of the reasons why you became a teacher in the first place. Remembering your drive and passion for teaching will help you keep going. 5. Re-Think Your Teaching Style Every teacher has their own style of teaching  and what works for some may not work for others. However, the New Year may give you the opportunity to re-think the way that you teach  and to try something new that you have always wanted to try. You can start by asking yourself some questions, like Do I want a student-centered classroom? or Would I like to be more of a guide or a leader? These questions will help guide you in figuring out which teaching style you want for your classroom. 6. Get To Know Students Better Take some time in the new year to get to know your students on a more personal level. This means taking some time to get to know their passions, interests, and family outside of the classroom. The better connection that you have with each individual student, the stronger the  classroom community you can build. 7. Have Better Time Management Skills This new year, take some time to improve your time management skills. Learn to prioritize your tasks and take advantage of technology to really maximize your students learning time. Tech tools are known to keep students engaged in learning longer, so if you really want to maximize your students learning time use these tools every day.   8. Use More Tech Tools There are some great (and affordable!) educational tech tools that are on the market. This January,  make it your goal to try and utilize as many pieces of technology as you can. You can do this, by going to Donorschoose.org and creating a list of all of the items that your classroom needs along with the reasons why. Donors will read your inquiry and purchase the items for your classroom. Its that easy. 9.To Not Take Work Home with You Your goal is to not take your work home with you so that you can spend more time with your family doing things that you love. You would think that this seems like an impossible task, but by showing up for work thirty minutes early and leaving thirty minutes late, its very possible.   10. Spice Up Classroom Lesson Plans Every now and then, its fun to spice things up. This New Year,  change up your lessons and see how much fun you will have. Instead of writing everything on the chalkboard, use your interactive whiteboard. If your students are used to you always using textbooks for their lessons, turn the lesson into a game. Find a few ways to change up your normal way that you do things and you will see the spark being lit in your classroom once again.

Impact of technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Impact of technology - Research Paper Example In fact, it manages and runs in the veins of the community and society. At the present, a technology is associated with creativity and innovation. In this scenario, it transforms the current thoughts into reality as well as into something that is supportive and helpful to culture and society and improves the standard of human life. Additionally, it brings a number of opportunities and advantages to a common person’s life. In addition, the intensity of automation that new technologies have offered has saved a lot of precious time and human capability to a huge level. It has simplified the access to information and brought distant locations much closer (LGVideoContest; Shelly, Cashman and Vermaat 23).This paper discusses the impact of technology on human life especially laptops and cell phones. This research will outline the positive and negative aspects of technology and how they affect human life. This research will outline the major aspects of IT which are transforming and im proving the traditional practices of business and daily life. Introduction Without a doubt, technology (especially information technology) nowadays plays a significant role in all areas of life. In fact, we would have never been able to know how a something can play a key role in our lives until we would have been sited back, relaxed, and seated right in front of the laptop or computer and accessed the web for the reason that its importance can’t be described in words and it plays a key role in business, family and personal life (Sohag; Worlock; FreeOnlineResearchPapers). Additionally, the new technology (cell phones and laptops) allows us to access the Internet without any problem, and it brings friends and family much closer. However, before the emergence of the Internet technology, it was not possible to keep in contact with friends and relatives all through the nation or around the world and it was very expensive. On the other hand, at the present, a person living in Loui siana currently has so many ways to communicate with family members, friends or other people who live on the other side of the world. Hence, it has facilitated a large number of people to stay in touch with one another, and they would have not been capable of doing previous to this invention (Sohag; Worlock; FreeOnlineResearchPapers). Another main advantage of technology in business side is that it facilitated the majority of business corporations to be able to connect with suppliers, employees and partners all through the world. In the same way, small businesses are able to find their customers anywhere in the globe. Additionally, organizations are currently able to hire educated personnel from anywhere in spite of where they are, significantly growing services openings. In this scenario, the Internet has offered innumerable ways to learn about new training, jobs, volunteer chances and what is happening in our area (Sohag; Worlock; FreeOnlineResearchPapers). In addition, the emerge nce of these technologies has also changed the way people shop for products and services in diverse areas of the world. Not simply do they are able to do it online, however at their own time as well as the security of their own home. What is therefore astonishing they are able to disburse bills with no wasting stamps and guaranteeing that it gets there in a timely way? The new technology, information systems and communication tools

Week 10 and Week 12 Discussions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 10 and Week 12 Discussions - Coursework Example The effect is increasing in investments diverted to other uses other than agriculture. Japan being a manufacturing country due to its enormous amount of industries, this has resulted to huge investments in industrial projects hence the main income generating that drives the economy of Japan. The Japanese word is used to mean ‘group’ in Japanese. In the business world, the word is used to refer to a partnership or other forms of alliances. The partners work closely to ensure that they all succeed in the invested business. Partners work towards a common goal and are all involved in making decisions concerning their organizations. The Japanese essentially operate in quite a different manner when compared to other countries. They often consider others first before considering themselves. The other countries like the U.S believe that it is better off to consider themselves first before giving others room. The main consequences felt while the Korean War was sexual harassment as the women were badly exploited during wartime. Those who protested against the government were killed hence their cases of the unjust murder were reported in Cheju Island. The Koreans were made to be dependent on nuclear bombs and have the largest amount of a nuclear bomb in South Korea. The Korean people and the land in general have been overexploited that there are many reported cases of pollution in the two states. Dams help in flood control as noted by the Chinese government. The harmful gas released to the atmosphere as sulphur dioxide is reduced by dams as they are absorbed. Helps in water storage and there is a forecasting by the Chinese people that waste water can be in future treated and stored in dams for future use. Where any dam is constructed there is pressure exerted on the natives to relocate from their land. Dams constructed alter the surrounding environment and worse off threatens the river’s wildlife. The weight exerted by huge dams